Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Herbert R Gilbert
- Born
- Tuesday, 18th September, 1888
- Died
- Wednesday, 5th January, 1972 (Aged 83 years and 107 days)
- Place Of Birth
- Gulgong, New South Wales, Australia
Awards & Accolades
Known Family Links
- Brother-in-law
- Mick Frawley
- Son
- Jack Gilbert
- Herb Gilbert
- Bob Gilbert
Biography
Champion winger/centre, a product of Souths RU club, played in three amateur Tests against the All Blacks in 1910. A big player with a liking for getting over the top of the opposition, Gilbert turned to League to play with Souths in 1911. He represented NSW in his first season and toured with the 1911-12 ‘Australasian’ Kangaroos, playing in 29 matches on tour including all three Tests in the historic Ashes series win. Gilbert topped the try-scoring list on tour (20 tries) and joined English club Hull on the then record signing-on fee of £450. Gilbert became the first overseas player to lead a club to victory in the prestigious Challenge Cup when Hull defeated Wakefield Trinity in the 1914 final. On his return to Australia in 1915, he played with Souths, Easts and Wests in successive years before ending his remarkable Test career on a high note when he linked with Viv Farnsworth in the centres in two Tests in NZ (1919) and then captained Australia in the Ashes-winning series against England in 1920. After a brief career with the newly-promoted St George club, he became a coach (1921-24) and selector with the club. His three sons, Herb Jnr, Jack and Bob Gilbert all played grade with St George but Herb resigned as a selector over a conflict of interests over the selection of his son Herb in first grade. The former NSW and Australian selector (1925-37) died in 1972, age 84.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Playing Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
Competitions | ||||||||||||||
Competition | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NRL | 96 | 36 | 2 | 2 | 116 | 54 | 35 | 7 | 56.25% | List | ||||
Interstate Matches | 3 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | Australia | 36 | 26 | 2 | - | 82 | 29 | 5 | 2 | 80.56% | List | |||
Test Series | 7 | 2 | 1 | - | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 57.14% | List | ||||
The Ashes | 5 | 1 | 1 | - | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 60.00% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | New South Wales Firsts | 5 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.00% | List | |||
City Cup | 20 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | Sydney Firsts | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
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Test Matches - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Australia | 1911-12, 1919-20 | 9 | 2 | 1 | - | 8 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 66.67% | List | |||
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Australia - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
NSW Firsts | 1911-12, 1919-20 | 8 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 87.50% | List | |||
Metropolis | 1912 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
Kangaroos | 1917 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
NSW Seconds | 1919 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
Sydney Firsts | 1920 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
Overall | 1911-1920 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 75.00% | List | |||
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NRL/NSWRL - By Year | ||||||||||||||
Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Souths | NSWRFL 1911 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 70.00% | List | |||
Souths | NSWRFL 1912 | 7 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 71.43% | List | |||
Souths | NSWRFL 1915 | 6 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 3 | 1 | 33.33% | List | |||
Eastern Suburbs | NSWRFL 1916 | 14 | 6 | - | - | 18 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 50.00% | List | |||
Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1917 | 14 | 9 | - | - | 27 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 50.00% | List | |||
Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1918 | 14 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 78.57% | List | |||
Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1919 | 10 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||
Western Suburbs | NSWRFL 1920 | 13 | 9 | - | - | 27 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 61.54% | List | |||
St George | NSWRFL 1921 | 8 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 25.00% | List | |||
NRL/NSWRL - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Souths | 1911-12, 1915 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 26 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 60.87% | List | |||
Eastern Suburbs | 1916 | 14 | 6 | - | - | 18 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 50.00% | List | |||
Western Suburbs | 1917-20 | 51 | 23 | - | - | 69 | 31 | 18 | 2 | 60.78% | List | |||
St George | 1921 | 8 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 25.00% | List | |||
Overall | 1911-1921 | 96 | 36 | 2 | 2 | 116 | 54 | 35 | 7 | 56.25% | List |
Contributions:
Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Alan Katzmann, Bill Bates
Sources:
Newspapers
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